The Poor Strawberry Plant
by animefan021513
Summary: After the Apocawasn't, Crowley gets a few more plants. One plant in particular finds out early on what he does to the plants who can't cut it. So...what exactly DOES happen to them?


About a week after the Apocawasn't, Crowley had gotten two new plants and now it's been about a month since he's gotten them. One of them was a strawberry plant. He bought it on a whim, but as he misted his beautiful lush green plants, he noticed there were leaf spots on the strawberry plant's leaves. "Is that...a spot?" He questioned coldly, creating a thick atmosphere of demonic anger that all of the plants were very accustom to, and the poor strawberry plant noticed his relatively new friends were terrified of what his new caretaker would do, or has done, so he started shaking too.

_'I can grow better!'_ The poor strawberry plant thought, but of course, no one heard it. It's a plant. Not even Crowley could hear it's concerned thoughts. Only other plants could hear it's cries.

"I give you a WEEK! You BETTER grow better! I do not want to see that leaf spot when I return!"

_'B-But...that's impossible!'_ The poor strawberry plant whined silently as it's leaves shook.

"YOU ALL will GROW BETTER!" The poor strawberry plant noticed how the larger more beautiful plants trembled so much their leaves seemed to nearly fall off, but after hearing his caretaker's tone.

_'What was that about!?'_ The poor strawberry plant asked as soon as his caretaker was out of sight.

_'He's a demon!'_ One of the plants shrieked.

_'Well, he's frightening...'_ The strawberry plant trailed off with a slightly confused and concerned tone that only other plants could hear. _'...but a demon?'_

_'What else could he be!? His eyes are that of a snake and we've seen him take away many plants that have had blemishes and we hear the most horrible sounds! You're lucky he's giving you a chance! If I were you, I'd find a way to get rid of your spots!'_

_'But I can't!'_ Cried the strawberry plant. _'That's impossible!'_

_'Then you better be the first plant to do it!'_ The plant next to him advised with a urgent tone. _'Now, why don't you think he's a demon?'_

_'He just...I don't know...'_ The strawberry replied with an honest tone. _'I've heard stories about angels and demons from my old nursery. Apparently there was always a man dressed in old style clothing that would come and speak soothing words to the other plants. He was an angel. They said that a very long time ago...the angels fell and turned into ugly demons. He's not ugly. So maybe...he's just a troubled angel. '_

_'A. Troubled. Angel!?'_ One of the plants questioned with a shocked and highly amused tone. Soon, all of the other plants were laughing hysterically. _'Oh! Who knew strawberry plants were so naive!?'_

_'Indeed! An ANGEL!? HA!'_

_'There's goodness in him! I think...'_

_'Do yourself a favor. Don't think! He takes excellent care of us, but we're terrified of him! We've seen him take a plant out of the room, we hear a horrible noise, and then he comes back to show us an empty plant pot!'_

_'Surely not!' _The poor strawberry gasped in shock.

_'Surely YES!'_ All of the plants shouted together.

_'Have you ever seen what he DOES with the others?'_

_'We don't have to! The noise is enough! It's horrible! Now, we shouldn't discuss this any further. This negative discussion will cause all of us to have spots!'_

_'She's right!'_ The plant closest to the door agreed, and the discussion was dropped as they all fell into an uneasy silence.

A week had gone by and Crowley had returned to check and mist his plants. He walked over to his strawberry plant and scowled at it. "I gave you a WEEK!" He shouted in disappointment, instantly causing the other plants to tremble. "EVERYONE! say GOODBYE to your NEW friend!"

As Crowley picked up the poor strawberry plant, the plant in question noticed how careful he was being of him. _'This...isn't the care of someone who's about to destroy another.'_ However, he could barely hear his own thoughts over the 'I-told-you-so's' coming from the other plants, who didn't really seem to mourn the loss of him as much as they were afraid they'd be next.

Soon, he was taken into a room, and he noticed that this room was expansive and impossibly large for the size of the building they were in. The entire place was the size of his old nursery. No. MUCH larger and expansive and there were MANY different plants thriving in it. "Alright now..." His caretaker spoke in a kinder voice after shutting the door, and soon, the poor strawberry plant was in awe as he saw beautiful black wings come out from his caretaker's back. Soon, he felt himself being taken out of the plant pot, and watched as a hole dug itself next to a rose bush.

The poor strawberry plant glanced up as much as a plant could and realized that there was no roof. _'What is this place!? It's beautiful!'_

As if able to hear his thoughts, his caretaker smiled brightly. "This is an exact replica of the Garden of Eden. I used to take care of the Garden before I sauntered vaguely down to Hell. I bring the plants that need the most affection in here. Don't worry though. Neither Hell nor Heaven knows about this place. Not even my friend Aziraphale."

_'The gentle man from my old nursery is YOUR friend!?'_ The strawberry plant questioned in vain out of pure shock and then he remembered his caretaker's words. 'Wait...that need the most affection?' He then looked around and noticed that ALL of the plants were many times more vibrant and beautiful than the plants in the room he was in.

As he looked around, he soon felt his caretaker's gentle hands lift him up and placed gently as well as carefully into the hole that dug itself, but as he thought about it, it MUST'VE been the so called demon's doing. "There, you should be a bit happier there. Plenty of sun, and I'll come and water you like I do the others in here twice a week. Oh, and don't worry about the others. There's another door in here that I can use, so they'll stay good and afraid and won't get too soft. They're for show. I want them to be the best they can be, but you'll be looked after well in here. The other plants in here will be kind to you as well. Back at Eden I could tell that the plants communicated somehow, but I couldn't hear them. I guess it's a whole other language...either way, they weren't kind to you in there...these plants will be. Well, time to go back and make a show of your...'demise'. Enjoy your new home."

The strawberry plant felt so incredibly loved as his caretaker put his wings back in his back and walked out of the door, creating a horrible noise indeed as he took the empty plant pot away into the hallway. _'So it WAS all for show. He IS just a troubled angel!'_

_'Oh! He's a demon in the physical sense.'_ The rose bush hummed lightly. 'But he's an angel at heart. Welcome.'

_'YES! Welcome!'_ A few plants shouted in delight.

_'You're the first strawberry plant in here! Oh! and you're so beautiful too!'_ Some of the other plants chorused with awe and wonder.

_'Thank you! I'm sure I'll love it here!'_

_'Oh! You will! We all do! You'll be made useful too!'_

_'How so?'_

_'He'll likely come and pick the most vibrant strawberries you have to offer and he'll use them for his drinks or food or he'll share them with Aziraphale.'_

_'OH! That's great!' He cheered. 'I can always grow more strawberries and I'll be useful!'_

_'YES!' The blackberry bush laughed out. 'He's incredibly careful when he takes the berries off of my bush and he always says thank you.'_

_'OH! I can't wait!'_

_'It's worth the wait.' The blackberry bush sighed happily._

_'And to think...someone like him can take care of us.'_ The strawberry plant thought happily. _'An actual demon with the heart of an angel...taking care of plants.'_ From that day on the poor strawberry plant was no longer 'The Poor Strawberry Plant'. He was 'The LOVED Strawberry Plant', and he was going to enjoy everyday of his life with his caretaker.


End file.
